Dementia for 2

I have been listening to James Macdonald this week. For those of you that have been following me for awhile, you know how much I like him. He offers free downloads of his daily sermons on his site and I have many of them.

This week he is teaching from the 3 Johns. I must say, these little books really pack a punch and I am not liking it at all.

Yesterday, he taught from 1 John chapter 2. He stayed mainly on verses 15-17. You can read these for yourself at your leisure. The point he was making is that we fill ourselves up on so many other things, that we don't save room for God. The analogy he used was eating. If you eat a big meal, you are to full for dessert.

This has gotten me to thinking about what all I fill myself up on. I have to admit, it is a lot of junk. Games, tv, socializing, books with little or no substance. This affects my character and how I react to others in my life. I become short tempered, rude, caustic, and just plain mean. I am also exhausted. I have managed to fill my time up with so many things that do nothing to make me a better person, that I just don't have the strength to turn to the Word.

I like many others, tend to put God last instead of first. But, I have to admit, I miss Him. I miss talking to Him. Even if it was a major cleansing. I miss the little things He shows me. I miss His still small voice.

That is the main reason I am so excited about this new study I have started. I am getting back on track so to speak. While I am not in total rebellion, I am far enough off the course. I know this is going to be a painful process for me. I do not look forward to seeing what I have allowed myself to become. I really dread the make-up tests I am going to have to take. But I know that God is merciful and gracious even to me. I also know that when I emerge on the other side, I will be closer to Him than ever before and that is the prize I am reaching for.